


Rising and Setting

by WatashiWaSushi



Series: Tribe of the Rising Sun (Warriors Fan-Fic) [1]
Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Kittypets (Warriors), Original Character(s), Original Clans, Original Tribe, Other, References to Warriors - Erin Hunter, Warriors - Erin Hunter - Freeform, Warriors cats - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-24
Updated: 2019-08-31
Packaged: 2020-09-24 09:18:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,134
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20356102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WatashiWaSushi/pseuds/WatashiWaSushi
Summary: The Tribe of the Rising Sun has always had their land to themselves, living in quiet peacefulness and prospering. When a dream warns of a new group of cats coming, some of the Tribe worry, while the Leader resolves to help these new cats as much as she can. With terror on the horizon, the two different groups of cats will have to learn to trust each other and work together.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is headcanon, of course, with an original Clan and Tribe and OC cats (though I will reference the source of course!) I love the world the Erin Hunter ladies have built and I just wanted to write a little fan-fic of my own. I know the Tribe of Rushing Water has certain customs, but being OC my Tribe is going to have different customs, sort of a mix of Tribe and Clan. Anyway, I hope it's enjoyable!

**Sunset Clan**

_ **Leader** _

Applestar\- Dark reddish-brown she-cat with white paws and green eyes.

_ **Deputy** _

Frogleg\- Mottled brown and black tom with long legs. Amber eyes. 

_ **Warriors** _

Blossomberry\- Pale brown she-cat with blue eyes. (Apprentice: Dewpaw)

Frostgaze\- White tom with pale blue eyes. (Apprentice: Ravenpaw)

Featherstorm\- Brown tabby tom with amber eyes and long legs.

Flowerfall\- Small black she-cat with little white flecks, amber eyes.

_ **Apprentices** _

Dewpaw\- Small white she-cat with blue eyes. 

Ravenpaw\- Jet black tom with amber eyes. 

_ **Queens** _

Peanut\- Former kittypet. Light brown tabby she-cat with bright green eyes. 

Brightclaw\- Pale grey she-cat with dark blue eyes. (Kits: Owlkit- Brown tabby she-kit; Mistykit- Grey tabby she-kit; Mothkit- Dark brown tabby tom)

_ **Elders** _

Deerpelt\- Brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**Tribe of the Rising Sun**

_ **Leader/Healer** _

Echo in the Cave(Echo)\- Grey, long-limbed she-cat with one green eye and one amber.

** _Prey-Hunters_ **

Duck\- Dark brown tabby she-cat with green eyes. 

Hawk\- Ginger tabby tom with green eyes.

Snow\- White tom with black paws and black tail tip, blue eyes. 

Cloud\- Light grey, almost white, tom with dark blue eyes.

River\- Ginger she-cat with pale green eyes.

Butterfly\- Pale ginger she-cat with green eyes and long limbs.

Dawn\- Tortoiseshell she-cat with bright amber eyes and white tail-tip.

Mist\- Pale grey tom with amber eyes. 

_ **Tribe Guards** _

Rock\- Large black tom with green eyes.

Eagle\- Brown tabby tom with white underbelly and white flecks in his pelt. Amber eyes.

Berry\- Ginger she-cat with bright green eyes. 

Blue Sky(Blue)\- White she-cat with blue eyes.

Rain\- Dark grey tabby tom with blue eyes.

Night\- Black tom with bright green eyes.

Wind\- Pale grey-silver tabby tom with amber eyes. 

_ **To-Be's** _

Grass\- Brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes. Training to be a Prey-Hunter.

Toad\- Brown tabby tom with green eyes. Training to be a Tribe Guard.

Swan\- White she-cat with blue eyes. Training to be a Tribe Guard.

Leaf\- White she-cat with green eyes. Training to be a Prey-Hunter.

Daisy\- Tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes. Training to be a Tribe Guard. 

_ **Kit Mothers** _

Dusk\- Dark grey she-cat with white underbelly and amber eyes. (Kits: Gust- Small grey she-kit with black paws; Owl- Dark brown tabby tom)

Morning Dew(Dew)\- Light brown tabby she-cat with green eyes. 

Petal\- Tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes. Oldest kit mother. (Kits: Poppy- Ginger she-kit; Dartwing- Pale ginger tom; Bumblebee- Pale ginger she-kit with dark orange tabby stripes)

_ **Elders** _

Stone\- Dark grey tom with amber eyes. 

Dark\- Black she-cat with green eyes.

Sun\- Large ginger tom with green eyes. 


	2. Prologue

**Prologue**

Echo woke up from her dreaming with the Tribe of Endless Hunting, confused. She'd seen cats in her dream, some her ancestors, some that she did not recognize. They asked for help, pleading for their _clan-mates_. She watched as they showed her a vision of a group of cats, once strong and prosperous. They had lived in a thick forest, their homes with in a small ravine with a stream flowing through, their dens carved into the walls. They were like her tribe, but so different at the same time. Suddenly shadows appeared and engulfed their home, forcing them to flee. Little by little this group, called a Clan, became smaller and weaker. Some cats were killed by the shadows, others were killed by the wilderness and by illness. 

They were coming here, she'd seen. They were nearly at the border of the forest, not even a day away from where the Tribe had their home. The Tribe themselves lived in a clearing away from the tree-line, living in the open air. The only ones with dens were the Kit-Mothers and Elders, their dens burrowed into the ground with sticks on the sides to support them. The clearing was next to a cliff-face, in the cliff-face was the cave where Echo had her den. There was a pool deep in the cave where she would sleep every full moon and see the Tribe ancestors. This was one such full moon, despite the bright moonlight out on the clearing, the cave was pitch black. 

She padded away from the Sharing-Pool and closer to the mouth of the cave where her den was. She would have to discuss what she'd seen with her Tribe, all of them. As she stepped out of the cave she looked to where the Tribe Guards and Prey-Hunters slept, nearby slept the To-Be's. Echo looked up into the sky, the moon was still high. She figured she'd go to sleep herself, allowing her Tribe time to rest. She'd have to be awake before her Tribe Guards, before they could set off to patrol their land. She wanted to make sure they didn't attack the strange cats if they came. 

Echo went back into the cave and into her little den, lined with moss and feathers. She curled herself up and closed her eyes, though despite having dreamed already with the ancestors, she fell asleep quickly. Her dreams were plagued by visions of cats she did not recognize, pleading with her. "Save my kits," one said, "Help my mate," said another. 

When she awoke to pale sunlight flowing into the cave, she felt as though she'd been running all night. She groaned and raised herself up, stretching her long legs before rushing outside. Fortunately, the Guards were only now starting to stir. Hawk, a senior Hunter, was already arranging the other Hunters into groups. "Wait!" Echo called before the first patrol could set out. She hopped onto a flat rock that sat outside the mouth of the cave, this was where the Leader would always address the Tribe from. "Tribe!" Echo called out, "Please gather, I have much to share after my dreaming!" 

Almost at once the rest of the cats began to stir, the Kit-Mothers poked their heads out of their burrow before climbing out, as did the elders. All of them were looking at her curiously, some worried, the Leader didn't normally share the dreams unless something was wrong. 

Echo took a deep breath. "There will be new cats coming to our territory," she announced. Mews of confusion started up, but the Leader raised her voice above them. "They are no threat to us," she said, "They will need our help." 

"How can we know they're no threat?" one cat called out. Echo recognized Wind, looking up at her. His eyes were challenging, but she could see the concern hidden inside him. 

"Our ancestors have told me this," she said, "they visited me with cats I did not know." She didn't know how much she should tell the Tribe, but she wanted to be honest so they wouldn't be fearful. "We will assist them, we will share our territory. There's room and prey enough for everyone, this is the will of the Tribe of Endless Hunting."

"Who were these cats? Why are they coming here? How can you know they aren't bringing their troubles with them," another Tribe Guard called out. This one was Eagle, one of the older guards. "Echo we cannot be so reckless. We've had peace for so long, we shouldn't do something that can shatter it."

The leader shared his concerns and, from the looks on the faces of the other cats, so did they. "It is not my decision," she said, though that wasn't entirely true. "We've been asked to help these new cats, we mustn't disobey our ancestors."

No one else voiced their concerns, they could see that the decision had been made already. For a few moments, no cat spoke and Echo tried to think of something she could do or say to quell their fears. This was when Petal, one of the Kit-Mothers, spoke up. She would be an elder soon, as soon as her kits where ready to be To-Be's in a couple of moons. Her age had made her wise and well respected in the Tribe, she'd always been level-headed and, when she was still a guard, she'd been one of the fiercest fighters. "Even if they bring their troubles," she began, "we cannot leave them to die, we cannot chase them away knowing we have the means to help them." She turned her amber gaze on the leader, "Do they have kits?"

"Ah.. I believe they do," Echo said, trying to recall the ragged cats she'd seen in her vision.

Petal turned to the rest of the Tribe again, "Would you turn these kits away to their deaths? Surely they've done nothing to deserve this fate." 

Some of the Tribe ducked their heads in shame while others still looked unsure. The tortoiseshell queen lashed her tail. "You're right Eagle, we've had peace for this long," she said, "I don't think many of you would remember a time when we had to fight for our lives. Surely we've grown fat and strong enough to protect cats who need help?"

"I say we send out patrols to watch for their arrival," called Sun, he was sitting near his mate and his eyes had a proud gleam. Another old Tribe Guard, well respected among the younger cats. "We can watch them for a while and decide if they're a threat to us or not." He turned to Echo, waiting to see if she approved of his plan.

The Leader nodded, "In addition to the patrols watching for foxes and badgers, can we spare any cats to watch for the arrivals?" She directed this question to Rock, one of her Tribe Guards who would usually assemble the patrols for the day.

He seemed thoughtful, he had been one of the only cats who didn't seem nervous, though he wasn't entirely convinced either. After a moment he nodded, "Of course. I'll send our stealthiest Tribe Guards, we'll alert you as soon as we see them." 

Echo nodded and, with a wave of her tail, she dismissed her Tribe. Immediately Rock gathered his fellow guards and began separating them. A brown tabby she-cat, Duck, waved her tail to Echo while she padded over. Echo stopped to listen to what the Prey-Hunter had to say. "If we're to help these strangers, perhaps we should send out extra hunting patrols?" she suggested. "Frozen Water is coming... We'll need to be well stocked on Caught-Prey to feed ourselves and them."

Echo nodded again, "Sounds like a good idea. Hopefully when these cats are strong enough they will hunt for themselves." Duck bowed her head respectfully and turned away, heading for her hunters. In the meantime, Echo would take a look around the territory. These cats came from a place with trees, she'd seen in her vision, perhaps she could find them a place they could call home. 


	3. Chapter One

**Chapter One**

They were starting to drag, Applestar noticed. She'd kept them running without sleep for two days now, crossing thunderpaths and streams. At one point, she lead them up the stream, making sure every cat stayed in the water, hoping they'd lose their scent if they went long enough. They were tired though, they'd stopped to hunt briefly but had only come up with a couple of squirrels and they'd gone to the Queens. Dewpaw had caught a vole and Applestar had allowed her to share it with Ravenpaw, hoping to keep the apprentices' strength up. Even so, they could barely go on. She looked back at her clan, now smaller than ever before. 

Flameleap had been one of the first to go, leaving behind his pregnant mate, a former kittypet named Peanut. They'd found him dead close to their old camp, his throat slashed open by vicious claws. Other warriors followed and when Applestar ordered that no cat leave the camp alone, not even to make dirt, the rogues decided to invade the camp. They didn't know where these vicious cats had come from, probably from the twoleg place, but they were more vicious than any kittypet or rogue they'd ever met. At first the clan fought bravely, but as their numbers dwindled, Applestar had had to make the difficult decision for them to move. She thought that perhaps the rogues wanted the territory, maybe the clan cats looked too well fed and they wanted that life, but she had been wrong. The rogues had followed them, killing cats in the night as they slept in makeshift camps. 

They never talked, only hissed and sneered, their eyes gleaming with joy as they terrorized SunsetClan. So Applestar made the decision to keep her clan moving, only stopping for little bits at a time to hunt and rest, she had them wade through water and at one point had them rolling in fox dung in hopes that the rogues would lose their scent. They hadn't scented them in so long now, some of the cats thought they were safe, but Applestar was unconvinced and paranoid. They'd followed them so far, why would they stop now? She didn't know who they were or what they wanted, only that her clan was dying because of them.

In an unknown place, their medicine cat Redlight had been unable to gather herbs when one of the kits came down with whitecough. Soon enough, it turned to greencough and the kit died and Redlight, having caught the same illness, died and left them without a medicine cat. He'd shared some of his knowledge with the clan, but even so they were lost in a place where they didn't know where to find the herbs they needed. A couple elders died, leaving Deerpelt as the last. Applestar had been riddled with guilt since their deaths, knowing that they probably caught whitecough because she was forcing them to walk through water. Despite that, not even Flowerfall, the mother of the dead kit, had blamed her. She wished they would, she wished they would've hissed and growled and even attacked her, but they only continued to trust her and look to her to lead them. Flowerfall and Frostgaze had been devastated, but they carried on and followed Applestar. 

"Applestar, look," hissed a voice. Frogleg was next to her, her loyal deputy. He was pointing his nose forward. She looked up to see what he was pointing at and saw that the stream was leading them away from the barren land they'd been crossing and there was a treeline up ahead. 

She raised her tail, stopping her tired cats. Applestar turned to them, "There are trees up ahead. We'll find a place to rest and hunt..." She hesitated a moment, seeing their eyes light up. They'd lived in a forest before, they weren't used to being out in the open as they had been for the past weeks. She hoped, prayed to StarClan, that they could rest and regain their strength here. "Stay alert," she told them, "I know we've seen no sign of those rogues and that our scent trail is hopefully lost... I don't want us to be caught off guard though." 

They all nodded, mewing their agreement. Frostgaze and his apprentice stepped forward. "We can scout ahead," he offered.

Applestar was thoughtful, she didn't want to walk into more danger, but Frostgaze and Ravenpaw were some of her strongest, she didn't know what they would do if they lost them. She decided that scouting would be best, "Alright, Featherstorm, you go too."

The two warriors and apprentice nodded and quickened their pace, leaving the clan behind as they headed for the trees. Brightclaw lifted one of her kits in her jaws, starting to follow more slowly. The clan only had her three kits left. StarClan willing, Peanut's kits would be born healthy and have to time to grow strong before Leafbare. Already the days were getting a little more chilly, Applestar knew they wouldn't be able to go on once the snow started. Frogleg and Dewpaw picked up the other two kits, following Brightclaw closely. She watched them pad off, waiting for the rest of her clan to go on before bringing up the rear. Only now did Applestar realize how tired and hungry she was. She hadn't eaten much and had kept such a brisk pace. She was trying to stay strong, but seeing the trees made her want to find a nice bush or tree to collapse under and sleep.

She raised her head and puffed out her chest, pushing the thought from her mind. Her clan had to be safe before she could rest, this was no time for weakness. "Applestar," said a quiet voice behind her. She turned and her spirit faded a little when she realized it was Flowerfall addressing her.

"Y-Yes," she responded nervously. Was this it? Now that they'd found a place, would Flowerfall finally unleash the anger at losing her kit. 

"Birchkit," the young warrior began. Applestar could see that the young she-cat was just as nervous as she was. "I know.. he caught the whitecough from being soaked, but... Frostgaze and I understand that you did what you thought was best. Walking through water surely lost our scent and... If those rogues caught up to us then Birchkit may have died anyway. We just wanted you to know that... While we're angry, we still believe in you."

Applestar was rather stunned by the words and even a little saddened. "I feel so horrible," she started, but Flowerfall stopped her with a wave of her tail. 

"It will take time to heal, but the guilt you've been feeling... It'll only make you weaker and the only way we'll grow strong again is if you're strong too," she said. Applestar tilted her head, surprised. Those were wise words coming from one of the younger warriors. It seemed like just yesterday that Flowerpaw was bouncing around catching leaves. Without waiting for a response, she trailed off after the other cats and Applestar followed. 

The cats stopped a few fox-lengths from the treeline, waiting for the scouts to return. It didn't take long before Frostgaze, Featherstorm, and Ravenpaw appeared. The clan cats began meowing with happiness at the sight of not just them, but the prey they were carrying in their mouths. Ravenpaw's tail was up and his eyes were shining brilliantly like they used to. It had been a long time since she saw these cats looking so happy and with their jaws so full of fresh-kill. Frostgaze had two squirrels in his jaws, Featherstorm carried a rabbit, and Ravenpaw was bringing back a fat thrush. They dropped their fresh-kill by their clan and Frostgaze began his report. "The forest is quiet, I didn't even smell fox or badger. There's a little clearing that we could set up camp in, if you'd want. And the prey practically ran into our mouths!" he seemed excited, his throat rumbling in a deep purr. 

Ravenpaw was nudging his thrush over to Peanut, who looked to Applestar hopefully. Applestar nodded to her, "Let the queens and Deerpelt eat first before we all head in." 

Purring, Brightclaw tucked into one of the squirrels, splitting off pieces for her three kits. They weren't fully weaned yet, but they would be soon and they were just as overjoyed at the sight of food as the others. Little Owlkit gnawed eagerly on the squirrel her mother had left for her, squeaking with happiness as it filled her belly. Her brother and sister joined, though Mothkit did find it in himself to complain, "Can I have milk too?" 

The small clan shared the amusement as the little kits' spirits returned, leaving them all feeling lifted. She noticed Flowerfall and Frostgaze watching them with endearing eyes, perhaps thinking of Birchkit, and Applestar hoped that she could find a place where they would be safe enough to have more kits. As for Peanut, she finished the thrush quickly, leaving a few bites and looking a little ashamed. "You should have this, you caught it," she said, pawing it over to Ravenpaw. 

The young tom shook his head, "Your kits will come soon, you need all your strength."

Applestar was pleased by the apprentices response and, for the first time in weeks, remembered that it was about time for he and Dewpaw to become warriors. They would've been warriors soon in their old home, but the recent tragedy had delayed their warrior ceremony, since they had nowhere safe to preform it. Now, Applestar looked up at the sky and prayed for StarClan to send her a sign, even without a medicine cat. _Please, send me something_, she wished on the sky as the sun headed for the horizon.

"We should hurry," Frogleg spoke up, looking up at the sky as well. "We need to find a place to set up camp before it gets too dark. Did you find any place that might be suitable?" 

Featherstorm answered, "There's a little dip in the ground, not far. It's lined with bushes on one side and it's not far from the stream, it'll be sheltered at least."

Applestar nodded, "Take us there, is everyone ready?" 

The queens and Deerpelt had finished eating and they nodded. This time as they set off, Brightclaw let her kits walk on their own. The little scraps of fur were filled with more energy and Applestar felt a ray of hope as she watched them follow the three cats. For so many days now, the kits had either been mewling and crying from hunger or they'd been too tired to make any noise at all, trudging with their tails low whenever the other cats were too tired to carry them. Now, they chased each other as kits do, Owlkit pouncing on her brother and Mistykit bowling them both over. Brightclaw watched them with a loving gaze and nudged them every now and then to keep them moving. 

They reached the dip just as the sky began turning pink and orange. It was enough for all of them to settle down and sleep in, but Applestar knew they had to remain alert. "I'll take first watch," she said, "I want you all to rest, Blossomberry, I'll wake you up before moonhigh, then Featherstorm before sunrise."

"Applestar," Frogleg said, a small purr in his voice, "you're just as tired as the rest of us. I feel fine, I got plenty of rest last time we stopped. You should rest now." Despite his amused tone, he was looking at her with a concerned expression. She must look exhausted, she'd been unable to sleep and, even when they had stopped to rest, she had been unable to relax even for a moment. 

"Well.. alright," she replied softly. She nuzzled the brown tom, rubbing her cheek against his. "Thank you," she whispered in his ear, "I couldn't have made it this far without you." She raised her voice then. "I want to thank all of you, I know we've lost a lot, but I know as long as we're together, we'll be okay." Her clan murmured agreement and she could hear purrs among their voices. "I'd like another hunting patrol to go out and get the rest of the clan fed," she said.

The hunting patrol didn't take long and, for the first time in what felt like moons, the clan was fully fed. They settled down to share tongues for a while, Applestar settled down with Brightclaw and Frogleg, the three of them grooming each other while the kits slowly began falling asleep by their mother. "Maybe we can find a place to build a camp here," Frogleg said as Applestar licked his sides. "If we can just catch our bearings, we could fend off those rogues." 

"That's what we thought at the old camp," Brightclaw pointed out softly. "Our only hope is that they've lost us. If they ever find us again, let's hope that it's after we've got a few more warriors." She looked to her kits and drew them closer with her paw. "Their still a couple moons away from even being apprentices, I only hope StarClan lets them become warriors someday." 

"Of course they will. They'll be fine warriors someday," Applestar assured her. "We'll have another two warriors here soon," she purred, trying to give her clanmates a little hope. "I want them to rest tonight. StarClan willing, they'll sit vigil tomorrow night and give us all some sleep." 

The next day, the cats who'd been guarding throughout the night were asleep while Applestar organized patrols for hunting. The only one awake was Blossomberry, who'd taken the first watch and therefore had gotten to sleep for most of the night. Before setting out, she told Blossomberry and Frostgaze about their apprentices becoming warriors that day and the two cats agreed eagerly. Applestar watched her cats go, feeling better than she had before. She'd slept throughout the whole night, her belly full, and she could feel her strength returning. Looking at them now, she thought her clan was looking like they used to. With a pang of sorrow she thought of the clanmates they'd lost. 

Peanut was sharing tongues with Brightclaw and Applestar wondered if they should've taken her back to her twolegs. With her mate dead, she must feel lonely in the clan. No one raised a voice against her and they all treated her like their clanmate now, but she wondered still if twolegs couldn't give her a better life for her and her kits. Flameleap had brought her to the clan several moons ago, before she became pregnant with his kits, and she'd been willing to join and do her duty as a warrior. The other cats had been spiteful and mean to both her and Flameleap and Applestar had had to punish her littermate. Soon enough she'd been accepted, but it wasn't long before the rogues attacked them. Applestar shook the thoughts from her mind. Her brother would want his mate and his kits to remain in the clan and Peanut had accepted the warrior life and had done her part in hunting and caring for the elders. 

Applestar went to approach them when she saw Featherstorm, who'd been sleeping soundly, lift his head suddenly. His ears were perked and his eyes wide, his mouth was open as if he were drawing in a scent. "Featherstorm?" Applestar called, feeling her fur begin to rise. The tom looked frightened and Applestar smelled the air, wondering what had gotten him so worked up. 

The wind blew toward her and she caught the same scent he had. He jumped to his paws and instinctively stood in front of the queens, Applestar joined him. Feeling them, Frogleg got up as well. He was tired, but it didn't show as he bared his fangs. Applestar was surprised when Deerpelt joined them. 

"That smells not the rogues," she hissed to her leader. 

"You should get back," Applestar said, "we don't know who that is."

The old she-cat spat, "I'd rather die saving those kits than be hunted down like prey. I can still knock you on your backside, don't you worry about me." 

Nodding, Applestar turned back, watching the trees at the top of the dip. That scent was cats alright, but it was unfamiliar. She arched her spine and hissed as the first one slipped from the bushes, but she soon felt dismay when she saw a whole patrol of cats slipping out, quiet as a mouse. Her few clanmates were hissing and she could see Brightclaw standing defensively in front of her kits and Peanut, pushing them back, ready to run. 

"There's too many," Frogleg hissed as they started walking slowly toward them. 

"We'll fight until our deaths," Applestar said. "We'll fight with all the strength of StarClan." 


	4. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

Applestar watched as one of the cats approached, this one seemed to be the leader. She watched as the lithe she-cat raised her tail and the other cats stopped. They all sat down, as if patiently waiting, and watched their leader approach the clan cats. Applestar lowered herself, ready to attack and to signal for her clanmates to do the same. To her surprise, the grey she-cat stopped a tail-length away and dipped her head and spoke in a soft voice. "We mean you no harm," the grey she-cat said.

"W-what?" Applestar hissed, refusing to back down.

The cat flicked her ears and sat down, wrapping her tail neatly around her paws. "We've been sent to help you," she said, "by both our ancestors. I believe.. You call yours _StarClan_?"

At her words, Applestar flinched. Were these... clan cats? She’d heard elder tales, stories passed down for generations, of the clans of the forest. That’s where they’d come from, but for so long their clan had been completely alone, the forest clans were considered nothing more than an elder tale. Had they stumbled upon them? How else could they know the name of StarClan?

"Who are you?" Applestar demanded. 

"Sheathe your claws," the cat said calmly, "as I said, we don't mean any harm. I will explain, but you will all need to calm yourselves." 

Applestar looked to the few clanmates she had with her. Even if they wanted to fight, they were severely outnumbered. However, she felt inclined to believe this she-cat, considering they hadn't already attacked. She nodded to her clan and they sheathed their claws, though they remained in defensive positions. They backed away a little, allowing the strange cats to come a little closer until they could all stand face to face. The grey she-cat opened her mouth to speak, but a screech interrupted her. A white streak flashed in front of them as Frostgaze launched himself, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, and barreled into one of the nearest strangers. He'd attacked a dark grey tabby who was heavily built, with broad shoulders and obviously bigger than the tired clan cats. 

"Frostgaze, no!" Applestar cried out. The other hunting cats appeared, running towards them and Applestar had to put herself between them and the strangers. "No, stop it! Don't attack!" she called out, surprising them. Turning, she saw that Frostgaze was pinned to the ground now, easily overpowered by the big tom, but to her relief the white warrior had not even a scratch on him and the other cats claws were sheathed.

"Rain," said the grey she-cat. The dark grey tom turned to his leader, then pulled away from Frostgaze and stepped back. 

Frostgaze raised himself, hissing at the tabby. "Enough," Applestar said, silencing him. She turned back to the she-cat and addressed her. "You have some explaining to do. You will address my whole clan with whatever information you have." 

One of the toms, a big brown tabby, scoffed. "Mind your tongue. That's our leader your speaking to, show some respect."

Frogleg stepped forward in Applestar's defense. "And that is our leader you speak to." 

The she-cat, who looked vaguely amused, remained calm and waved her tail. "Please. I'll explain everything, but I need you all to be calm." She looked around at the clan cats and took a deep breath, as if bracing herself to speak. "My name is Echo in the cave, you may call me Echo however," she began. She then waved her tail to each of the cats with her. "This is Rock," she said pointing to the brown tabby. "That's Rain, Berry, Eagle, Wind, and Blue Sky." Rain was the tom who'd pinned Frostgaze, Berry was a rather pretty ginger she-cat, though she looked like she could easily keep up with the two larger toms, with a broad build, Eagle was another brown tabby with white on his belly and dotting his fur, Wind was a young-looking silver tabby, and Blue Sky was white with stunning blue eyes. As Applestar looked at them, she realized they all had similar large bodies, rippling with muscles, and she became nervous knowing that her clan stood no chance against them. Even now that they outnumbered these new cats, they looked far stronger. Only their leader had a smaller body, lithe and long-legged. 

"Those are.. Odd clan names," Applestar murmured. 

Echo purred, "That is because we are not a clan like you, we are a tribe."

"A tribe?" 

"We are different, but also perhaps... Not so different," Echo said, looking thoughtful. "Several nights ago, during the full moon, I dreamed of our ancestors. They brought me strange cats I'd never seen before, cats who plead for their clan, and showed me a vision of you coming to our forest." 

"A vision? So you spoke to StarClan?" asked Brightclaw, her fur bristling, "what did they say?"

"Not exactly, as I said, I spoke to my ancestors and they brought these strange cats who.. I assume, are your StarClan. I speak to the Tribe of Endless Hunting," the grey she-cat explained. She rested her gaze on Applestar, "You.. look like one of the cats who came, perhaps your littermate?" 

"F-Flameleap?" asked Peanut, stepping forward. "That's my mate! What did he say?"

"Only for us to help you," she replied. 

"You saw our ancestors? So they still see us?"

"Yes.. Did you not dream of them on the full moon?" Echo asked, tilting her head to the side. 

Applestar sighed and shook her head. "No.. Our medicine cat died, we.. haven't heard from StarClan since we left our home anyway."

"Your medicine cat?" Echo repeated, looking confused. "Is that your healer? I thought you were leader?" 

"I am.. Our.. Medicine cat is the one who heals our wounds," Applestar replied, looking confused as well.

"That is unfortunate," Echo replied, bowing her head out of respect, "I'm sorry to hear that your hea-- medicine cat has died. As leader, I take on both roles and am the link between the Tribe and our ancestors." She looked back up and got to her paws. "If you wish, I can take you to where I dream with our ancestors, perhaps yours will come to you. And.. If any of you have wounds, I'd gladly tend to them and share my knowledge of herbs and healing."

Applestar was a little taken aback. Had these cats truly been sent by StarClan? Applestar didn't need a lot of convincing, this cat knew of Flameleap, not by name, but had seen him and been able to tell they were related. That was impossible, they'd traveled so far and these cats didn't share the same scent as the rogues, not only that, but Applestar doubted the rogues would know enough to speak of StarClan or this Tribe. "I would.. appreciate that," she replied, after taking a look at her tired clanmates. None of them protested, but she could see the wariness in their eyes. She turned to the hunting patrol. "I'm sorry," she said to the Tribe cats, "we didn't know any other cats lived here and I allowed my warriors to hunt." 

"My Tribe are the only cats here, we have plenty of prey to share," Echo replied. She beckoned with her tail for them to follow and began walking, her cats followed, but Applestar noticed that they fell in with the clan cats. They weren't menacing, though she could tell they were watching Frostgaze intently, wondering if he would try to attack again. 

The she-cat, Berry, padded tentatively over to Brightclaw. "Would you like help with your kits?" she asked in a polite tone. At Brightclaw's uncertainty, the ginger she-cat stepped back a pace. "I would not leave your sight or harm a kit, I'm a kit-mother as well." 

They were rather strange words, but that seemed to calm the queen and she nodded, nudging little Owlkit towards her. "It's okay," she murmured to the kit, "I'll be right here." 

The kit looked up at the strange cat, eyes wide with fear. Berry knelt down, purring gently. "My mother has some kits about your age, I'm sure they'd love to play with you," she offered.

At that, Owlkit's sister, undoubtedly the boldest of Brightclaw's kits, spoke up. "Me too?" Mistykit mewed, trotting over to the stranger. "Oh and Mothkit!"

"Of course," the she-cat replied. "All that kits are very friendly. Though Dusk's kits are a little too small, so we mustn't play too roughly with them."

The kits agreed whole-heartedly and Owlkit allowed himself to be carried by Berry. Applestar turned back and took off at a quicker pace, catching up to Echo. "So..." she began, feeling awkward. "What else did your ancestors show you, and did any of ours say anything more?"

Echo's eyes clouded as she remembered. "They only plead for help," she replied, "my Tribe ancestors only told me that you needed help. Nothing more, they showed me a vision of your old home, it was beautiful... But dark shadows loomed over it." She turned to Applestar, her mismatched eyes were striking and filled with anxiety. "Please tell me what those shadows were." She turned back, making sure other cats weren't within ear shot. "I want to know if I've put my Tribemates in danger to help you." 

Applestar hesitated. If she told her, what would she say? Would she turn them away? They'd been running for so long, they needed to rest somewhere safely so that they could recuperate. These cats weren't obligated to protect them, but... If the rogues followed them here, perhaps this Tribe was already in danger. She sighed, "Rogues."

"Rogues?"

"It's what we call cats who aren't in a clan or kittypets or just loners," Applestar tried to explain, but the other she-cat only looked more confused. "These rogues, they're.. Just plain evil. They killed our clanmates and chased us from our home. They followed us everywhere, killing when they could." Echo's eyes widened with shock and fear. "I made my clan walk day and night and wade through water to try and disguise our scent so they'd lose our trail. We haven't heard from them in some time now, but..."

"You don't know how persistent these evil things are," Echo finished. "I cannot speak with my ancestors again until the next full moon, but if your ancestors have followed you, perhaps they will speak to you."

"I hope so.. I don't know what to do about a medicine cat, but a leader should be able to speak to them as well."

Echo turned back again to look at the cats. "Are all these cats Prey-Hunters? Do you have any guards?" she asked.

"I... Don't understand. They're all warriors."

"Then.. They share duties? All my cats here are Tribe-Guards, they are the strongest and they protect us, but they don't hunt. Only Prey-Hunters do," she replied, looking curious. "And as for a medicine cat, I could train one of your cats with the herbs we have growing around here?" 

"Yes, all my warriors fight and hunt," Applestar replied with a twitch of her whiskers. Though she didn't say so out loud, she wondered what the point was of dividing duties like that. "As for medicine cat.. I would appreciate knowing my clan is being taken care of. I'll see which of the cats is best suited for it though.. It's a commitment that shouldn't be taken lightly."

"Oh?"

"Medicine cats can't take mates or have kits," Applestar explained. 

The she-cat nodded, "Oh yes, the same for me. Perhaps one of the kits would be interested? All your warriors look as though they're used to their lives and may not want to give up so much." 

Applestar was thoughtful before looking back at the kits. They were three moons from becoming apprentices, but maybe Brightclaw could tell her if she thought one would make a good medicine cat. It's always easier to teach younger kits anyway, since the warriors were already set in their ways. "Perhaps," she replied simply. 

They finally arrived to, what Applestar assumed, was their camp. It was an open clearing outside of a cave, with two holes to one side, half-hidden by bushes. The cats in the clearing stopped what they were doing and turned to watch the new arrivals. They looked wary, but not surprised at the sight. Echo must've told them about her vision and they must've heard where their guards and leader were going that morning. There were some kits playing near one of the holes, an older looking queen was watching them, but they stopped when they caught the sight of the clan cats. They watched curiously, then scurried into the hole quickly. A pregnant queen pulled herself out a moment later and Applestar realized that must be their nursery. They were watched closely, but none of the cats made a move to speak to them. 

Echo walked over to a rock near the mouth of the cave and hopped on top. "Tribe!" she called out, though most of the cats already seemed to be gathered. "These are our guests, please treat them with courtesy." She looked to a brown she-cat that sat watching her. "Duck, they can hunt on their own, but please assist them if need be. Take a guard and give them a tour of our territory." The brown tabby nodded and waited until her leader hopped down before she walked over to them.

Applestar turned to her clanmates. "Whoever wants a tour can go," she said. 

Echo came over with the queen and the kits from before. "If you wish, your kit-mothers may sleep in our nursery?" she offered. "They'll be fed and protected as our own, Petal can show them where, if that's okay." 

The tortoiseshell bowed her head. "I would never allow harm to come to any of the kits," she said.

"Brightclaw, Peanut?" Applestar questioned, turning to them. 

"It would be nice to get off my paws and rest," Peanut replied, looking exhausted. Brightclaw nodded her agreement, though she watched quietly with a motherly expression as the tribe kits bounced over to her own, showering them with questions.

"Come," Petal said, leading them towards the hole where the pregnant queen waited. 

Pretty soon, a few of her warriors had gone off to check out the territory, including Frogleg, and the only ones who remained were Deerpelt and Blossomberry. Applestar noticed suddenly that Blossomberry looked right at home with the other elder and wondered if perhaps the she-cat was ready to retire once her apprentice was promoted. That reminded Applestar of the ceremony she'd meant to preform. 

Echo's voice pulled her back from her thoughts. "At nightfall, I'll take you into the cave so you may seek answers from your StarClan." 


	5. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

Applestar looked curiously at Echo. Back in their old home, the leaders and medicine cats would go to a cave, not so dissimilar to the one here, and within there was a rock. They'd sleep in the glowing light of the rock and Share Tongues with StarClan. She wondered how these cats shared with their ancestors, but she didn't have to wonder for long. Echo flicked her tail at the cave. "Deep inside, there's a hole in the roof, the moon and stars shine down into a pool, there is where the Tribe of Endless Hunting speaks to me." 

Just then, the cats who'd gone off exploring returned, their mouths full of fresh-kill, including they prey her hunting patrol had caught before. Ravenpaw trotted up to her excitedly, "We didn't even get to explore the whole territory yet, we just wanted to bring all the prey back to the clan and the tribe!" The dark apprentice hurried over to her, his eyes bright and excited. "You should see the way these cats hunt!" he shouted. "They climb the trees like squirrels and knock the birds right out of them."

Echo was purring with amusement, "It's an old trick. Perhaps we could teach you?"

He looked to Applestar excitedly and she nodded. "Now go and take that to the queens and have Dewpaw feed the elders. We should be grateful to the Tribe," she meowed. Applestar watched them for a moment and, with a twitch of her whiskers, she saw the Deerpelt was already settling in with the elders of the tribe, chatting enthusiastically. The clan leader turned to Echo then, reminded of the fact that her apprentices were ready for their warrior ceremony. "Ah.. Dewpaw and Ravenpaw," she began, a little awkward. How could she explain this without imposing on the generosity of the Tribe? She wasn't sure what traditions they held and she hoped she wouldn't somehow offend them. "They're ready to become warriors. Right now they're just apprentices, that's why they're both named 'paw, but they've completed their training long ago."

Echo nodded, "Oh, then they're your To-Be's." When Applestar tilted her head to the side, she twitched her whiskers. "Before kittens can become Prey-Hunters or Tribe Guards, they must train, we call them To-Be's. Did you need anything for them to become warriors? We will accommodate you, if we can."

"I was just hoping, since we don't have a camp, may I preform the ceremony here? And afterwards, they must sit a silent vigil throughout the night, is that alright?" Hope surged through the tired clan leader when the grey she-cat nodded. "Thank you again. This will be a good sign for my clan, to give them hope," she said, bowing her head. She turned back to the cats and saw that the apprentices had already run off again with some of the Tribe's young cats, probably the To-Be's Echo had mentioned, and the older cats followed them more slowly. "Be back before sunset!" she called out.

Frostgaze flicked his tail in acknowledgement before disappearing through some bushes. Echo spoke now, "We will have to share much. I'd love to know about your clan."

"Oh of course, I'm curious about the Tribe as well," Applestar replied. She then realized that she should tell this new cat the full name of her clan. "We're called SunsetClan," she said, "the elders tell tales of a time when there were many clans, in a far off forest, but we've never come across other cats until now." She was thoughtful a moment, looking over as the Tribe and clan cats mingled together. A thought crossed her mind, but she shook it away with a flick of her ears. "Are you sure it's alright for us to share your hunting grounds? We'll find our own camp so we can stay out of your fur, but.. We will still need help with training a medicine cat."

"It will be as our ancestors will it," Echo replied, though Applestar couldn't tell if that was confidence in the she-cat's voice or perhaps hopefulness. They would have to leave it in the paws of StarClan and the Tribe's ancestors though, no matter what. "We'll help you find a place for your home and as for training a medicine cat, I'm more than happy to teach all I know about healing wounds, but it will be in the paws of your clan to train them to read your ancestor's signs and learn their ways. We will have to work very closely to teach whoever the young cat will be." 

"Do you train any apprentices... Er, To-Be's I mean?" Applestar asked her. 

The grey she-cat shook her head. "No, I show my cats how to treat wounds in emergencies, but... Well... Someday, a kit will be born and the Tribe of Endless Hunting will tell me that this kit will be my Echo," she said. As she spoke there was sadness in her mismatched eyes. "This kit will signal my eventual death."

Applestar stared at her, eyes wide. "So you don't have nine lives? You don't get to choose your successor?" This Tribe really was a strange group of cats and their ancestors were even more strange, to send an omen of death with the birth of a kit. Kits should be celebrated, but how could Echo feel proud of her Tribe growing when she was having to worry about whether or not one of these kits was going to take over after her?

Now it was Echo's turn to look shocked, the expression amplified by the one green eye and one amber. "Nine lives?"

Applestar flicked her ears. "StarClan grants each new leader nine lives, usually the new leader is the old leader's deputy," Applestar explained. She spotted Frogleg, he must've stayed after the cats came back with fresh-kill, chatting with some Tribe cats and she pointed at him with her tail. "Frogleg is my deputy. Someday, when I lose my nine lives, he'll be the next leader and StarClan will grant him his." Speaking about it, Applestar remembered her own ceremony, sleeping in the bright light of their Moon Rock. StarClan warriors came to her, some of them long dead SunsetClan members, some of them more recent. She wondered if Frogleg would be able to speak to StarClan inside this cave or if they'd have to find their own way of communicating with StarClan. They'd have to find some way soon, unless Echo was willing to share her cave. She didn't want to impose so much on these new cats, she wanted to find themselves a camp and be out of their way.

The Tribe leader looked thoughtful, but still a puzzled. "These are strange ways, but I suppose that makes sense," she said quietly, her ears flicking. Applestar couldn't read Echo's expression, she stared down at the ground in front of her, kneading her paws. 

Desperate to change the subject, Applestar thought of something quickly. "Ah... So your Tribe likes to hunt in the trees?" she asked, remembering Ravenpaw's excitement. She purred, thinking of her cats trying to climb the trees to hunt. They liked climbing them for fun or to hide from threats, but she couldn't imagine trying to catch birds from up in the air, it seemed frightening.

Echo looked up quickly, her eyes shining. "Oh? I'll have my Prey-Hunters teach you, I can climb trees but not as well as them," she purred. 

The two she-cats looked up as the hunting patrol returned, the sun was already starting to dip behind the trees and Applestar was happy to see that all the cats' jaws were filled with prey. For the first time in a while she began to feel optimistic. She noticed that the older warriors seemed a little more guarded around the Tribe cats, but the apprentices and younger warriors were playful and talking excitedly. They all put their prey into a pile together and a younger cat, probably a To-Be, trotted up to Echo and Applestar. 

"Echo and... You," the young cat started. Her mind must have blanked on the clan leader's name and she became embarrassed, pawing at the ground. "Are you hungry?" she asked in a quieter voice. "We caught plenty and we were all going to share so Dawn told me to make sure you both ate."

"Well.. I actually can't eat, I'll be sharing with StarClan," Applestar replied, turning to Echo, "and before mealtime.. If I may, I have a ceremony to preform?"

Echo nodded and blinked affectionately at the To-Be. "Grass, will you please inform the Tribe that we will witness a Clan ceremony?" she suggested. The tabby's eyes opened wide as she looked from Echo to Applestar, she nodded and turned, running off with a bounce in her step. "I hope you don't mind, I think many of my Tribe would be interested to see this," she said. 

Applestar shook her head, but she did feel a little embarrassed and awkward. Back at the old camp she'd only performed two warrior ceremonies. With a twinge of sadness, she recalled that neither of those warriors were still with them. She looked up to the sky, starting to turn different colors as the sun set and she prayed to StarClan that her two new warriors would live to old ages. This would be good for her clan, this would make them happy and perhaps more optimistic. With a deep breath, Applestar stood and raised her voice. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather," she called out. 

Dewpaw and Ravenpaw had eyes wide and she figured their mentors had not said anything, letting them be surprised. Now Blossomberry and Frostgaze nudged the two young cats forward and they came to stand before Applestar. She was almost choked with emotion, looking at them now. She remembered when they were still kits, scampering out of the nursery, getting under the feet of the warriors. She remembered the day she made them apprentices, it seemed so long ago now, they had looked at her the same way. Eyes wide and she could see their future, bright as the sun, shining in their eyes and she knew things would be okay. She no longer felt embarrassed under the gaze of the Tribe cats as she looked at her two warriors. 

Another deep breath and Applestar began the ceremony. "I, Applestar, leader of SunsetClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these two apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn. Ravenpaw, Dewpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do," said Ravenpaw.

His sister followed, her voice shakier, "I do." 

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names." She turned to Ravenpaw first, "Ravenpaw, from this moment you will be known as Ravenflight. StarClan honors your strength and dedication and we welcome you as a full member of SunsetClan." She rested her muzzle on the top of his head and felt him give her shoulder a respectful lick. She turned now to Dewpaw, "Dewpaw, from this moment you will be known as Dewbreeze. StarClan honors your loyalty and spirit and we welcome you as a full member of SunsetClan." She repeated the end of the ceremony, resting her muzzle on the young she-cats head and feeling her give a respectful lick. She raised her head and turned, looking to her clan cats in the sea of new faces. "Tonight, Ravenflight and Dewbreeze will stand their vigil in silence after they eat." 

Her clan cats came forward now, cheering the names of the new warriors. Some of the younger Tribe cats joined in, including Grass and the other To-Be's, while some of the others stood around awkwardly, unsure about this ceremony that must seem strange in their eyes. Even so they looked happy and interested, despite not knowing what it was. 

"That was quite beautiful," Echo commented, turning her eyes onto Applestar. 

Applestar's ears twitched and she looked away bashfully. "Thank you," she replied, unsure of what else to say. 

Echo looked up at the sky, in the dimming light her mismatched eyes looked silver as the light of sky reflected from them. "Are you ready?" she asked.

She felt nervous, but she had been awaiting this moment impatiently. "Y-yes," she replied. 

Echo stood, flicking her tail for Applestar to follow, and together the two cats walked into the cave. She could see cracks in the walls of the cave, close to the entrance, one was filled with feathers and most and she assumed that was where Echo slept. In the other there were green leaves and Applestar guessed this was where they kept their herbs. They walked deeper and soon they were plunged into darkness and Applestar grew more nervous. As if she felt it, Echo placed her tail on Applestar's shoulder as she lead her forward. The clan cat could hear the chirps of bats and her fur began to bristle.

"Be calm," Echo said in a soothing voice. "We don't bother the bats and they don't bother us."

She tried to lay her fur flat, but could feel her tail still puffing up. Soon the cave grew light again and Applestar could see that the light of the sky was shining down from a hole in the ceiling. The starlight shone in beautifully, illuminating a pool in the center of the cavern. "Is this the place?" asked Applestar with a low whisper, keeping her voice quiet out of respect for the place. 

Echo nodded and pointed forward with her nose. "Sleep and hopefully your StarClan will share your dreams."

Applestar padded forward towards the pool alone. She drank a little, then stepped back and laid down on the cold, stone floor. Her eyes closed almost immediately and soon she was surrounded by darkness. "Day and night will come together," whispered a familiar voice. Her father! 

"Ivystar!" she called out, circling in the darkness. 

"Peace comes at a price, but together you will triumph."

Suddenly she saw the evening sky, the sun setting on the horizon. It was peacefully, but suddenly claws made of dark shadows tore the sky and plunged her into darkness. She could hear howling, cats hissing and screeching, the cries of war. Some of the cries were familiar, some were not, but she understood that they were all fighting. Applestar felt as though an eternity had passed when a bright light began to shine and she realized the sun was rising. It gave her hope and the screeching had stopped, but the sun was a bloody red color that bathed her in red light and Applestar knew that that was a bad omen, but she could not understand what this vision meant. 


	6. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four**

When she woke up, Applestar saw that the starlight in the cave was fading and being replaced by a pink light as the sun rose. The dream felt like an eternity and all at once it felt as though she’d only slept a few moments. She was a little disheartened, she hadn’t seen her warrior ancestors, but her father’s voice rang clearly in her head. His words echoed in her mind, his prophecy to her seemed confusing. 

“What did you see?” asked Echo. Applestar could barely make out the shape of the grey she-cat in the light, but she could see that she was sitting a few tail-lengths away. Her voice was soft and curious, not prying.

At first, Applestar didn’t know what to say. Without Redlight here, though, she had no medicine cat to help her interpret these signs. Her father's words "day and night will come together" repeated in her mind. Grief swept over her as she thought of her father, strong and courageous, would he have been able to lead the clan better? She doubted he would've let them be chased from their home, but there was no time to dwell on that anymore. She told Echo everything that happened and when she finished, she stared at the other cat who sat quietly without replying. For a moment, Applestar wondered if the other she-cat would ever respond or if she was just as confused as Applestar was. 

Finally Echo responded. "It sounds as though.. There is a battle coming, but... You will be victorious, though it will come at a cost."

Applestar was thoughtful and she sighed. "I suppose that's all we can get from it, isn't it?" she asked. The other she-cat stood and the clan leader followed her from the cave, back out into the daylight. Outside, life seemed to be going on as normal. Well, at least, as normal as it could be for any of the cats out there. She was grateful for the Tribe's help, but she wanted her clan to have their own camp again, to try and get back to their normal lives. "I would like to take a look around your territory," she said to Echo as the two she-cats sat down outside the mouth of the cave. "I think it would do my clan good to set up a camp. You're sure that's alright with your Tribe?"

Echo shrugged her shoulders, she didn't respond at first, she'd begun to groom herself, wiping her paw over her head. "At first they were reluctant, but it was the will of the Tribe of Endless Hunting that we help you, they will come around to the idea. Our Tribe has had this forest to ourselves for generations, it will do us no harm to split the territory with you. I'll have one of the Prey-Hunters and one of the Tribe Guards go with you, they'll know the territory best and the Guard will be able to show you any fox holes or anything to be aware of."

She blinked gratefully at the other cat and nodded. "I'd be very grateful," she said. They sat together quietly for a few moments as they washed themselves, Applestar could still feel the cold on her fur from the cave floor she'd laid on all night. When they were done, the two she-cats stood and Echo beckoned to one of the cats in the clearing. 

Applestar recognized the dark grey tom as one of the cats who had come with Echo to greet the clan cats. "Rain," Echo said when the tom approached. "Get one of the Prey-Hunters and show Applestar around the territory. Point out anything the clan cats may want to be careful of, she wants to find a suitable place for them to set up their camp." She nodded to both of them, having given her orders, she retreated back into the cave, presumably heading for her den. 

She lowered her head respectfully and stood up to follow Rain over to where a group of lithe cats were separating into patrols. "Butterfly," Rain called out.

A young, pale ginger she-cat raised her head at the sound of her name and flicked her ears. She nodded to the other hunters and padded over, looking curiously at the clan leader. "Can I help you?" she asked politely. 

"Echo has asked us to show Applestar around the territory so they can find a camp, would you be able to join us?" 

Butterfly turned to other cats, then back to them, "I think the hunting patrols will be fine without me, let me just tell Hawk and Duck." The ginger she-cat trotted back to the two senior looking cats and they spoke briefly before she came back to join them. "Did you want to bring any of your clan mates with us?"

She looked around and saw her clan cats all gathered together, Frogleg was in the center, probably organizing patrols for hunting. When he caught sight of her, she waved her tail to beckon him over to her. He nodded to the other cats, who split off into groups, then walked over to where she and the Tribe cats were waiting. "We're going to look for a suitable place to camp, I figured since you took a tour yesterday, you might have a place in mind," she suggested. He nodded and together they padded after Butterfly and Rain.

They took them towards a gently flowing river. On the other side was a more dense forest than the one they came from, with a large canopy of trees casting shadows down on the forest below. Rain pointed to it with his nose. "Across the river there's a lot of forest land, but beyond it there are upwalkers--"

Frogleg cut him off before he could continue, "Upwalkers?"

The two cats exchanged a look and Rain turned back, his ears flicking and his eyes anxious. "They're these creatures.. They walk on two legs and don't have any fur except for on their heads. They don't bother us much, but during the time of Freed Water they come to the river and they take fish out using these big sticks with strings," he shivered at the thought of them, "they're so strange, but at least they don't seem interested in us."

Applestar couldn't help letting out a mrrrow of laughter. "Oh, we call them Twolegs," she explained. "There used to be a lot of their nests, not far from where we used to live. They'd fish in our rivers too, but like you said, they were never interested in us. Peanut used to live with some of them, she's a kittypet."

The two Tribe cats widened their eyes. "She lived with those creatures? We've never been close enough to them to see if they had cats with them," Butterfly said with a shudder. "I can't imagine having to be trapped with those creatures." 

From what Peanut had told them, they weren't so horrible, but that was besides the point. She waved her tail to the river. "What do you think Frogleg? Should we try over there or stay on this side?" she asked. 

Her deputy was thoughtful for a few moments, then he turned to the Tribe cats. "Do you hunt over there often? Is it livable?" he asked. "I'd like to be out of your way, but we should try to live somewhere the prey is plentiful."

It was Butterfly who answered him. She purred, sweeping her tongue over her mouth as if she could taste the fresh-kill already. "Oh yes, there's plenty of prey. We don't hunt over there often, so the mice and birds are all slow and don't expect cats, but every time we do hunt across the river, we catch plenty of prey, it would be a lovely place," she said. She looked so excited, it made Applestar feel happy. Rain was looking at her with a soft look in his eyes and she wondered if the two cats were mates. 

He chuckled, "Butterfly, you should see how much you're drooling." To Applestar he said, "Come, there's stepping stones upriver we can use to cross."

They were exploring the other side, Butterfly had been right, and they'd all caught a little prey and shared a meal. Applestar and Frogleg were intent, barely speaking as they searched for a place to live. A little stream had broken off from the river not far from the stepping stones and Applestar found herself following it, as if her pawsteps were guided by StarClan. Frogleg, Butterfly, and Rain were following her quietly. The stream was only a couple of tail-lengths wide and it didn't flow strongly, unless it flooded it would be safe to live around. Applestar continued forward, trotting a little way ahead of the others, she pushed her way through a prickly bush, expecting to see more forest on the other side. However as she stepped out, she found that she had no more ground to step onto. With a yowl of surprise, Applestar plunged down, the forest rising above her. 

She heard yowls above her, Frogleg calling her name and the other cats shouting. 

Applestar landed hard on a little ledge not far from where she'd fallen and groaned with pain. 

"Applestar!" Frogleg called, "are you alright?" 

She looked up and saw him peering down at her, Rain and Butterfly next to him. She stood and shook herself, nothing felt broken, only sore. "I think so," she called back up. She took a look around and saw that she was standing on a ledge within a hollow. The stream cascaded down in a waterfall, falling into a pool at the bottom. The hollow was lined with bushes and Applestar groaned internally when she saw that the other side had a more gentle dip she could have easily walked down to get in. The ledge wasn't far from the ground now, she could easily hop down without getting hurt, especially now that she could see where she was going. "Frogleg.." she called, looking up at him. 

He had been looking around as well and now he turned to her, his eyes gleaming, and she knew he was thinking the same thing. "I think we've found our home," Frogleg said, finishing her sentence. 

The other cats came around to the slope and Applestar hopped down. She peered into the pool the waterfall formed and wondered how deep it went, they'd have to be careful and keep the kits away, but it would be an easy way for them to get a cool drink in Greenleaf without having to leave the camp to go to the stream. Behind the waterfall was a hole in the rock, perfect for a den, close to the water but still far enough into the wall that it would be dry. It was up a small ramp and Applestar could already see herself addressing her clan from there, her den hidden behind the waterfall. 

"Applestar!" Frogleg was calling from the other side of the hollow. "I think I've found a perfect nursery."

She ran over to him quickly and saw that he was peering into another small cave, similar to the one she'd found for herself. It was deep and cozy, perfect for keeping Queens and Kits warm and comfortable as soon as they lined it with moss. She purred with delight, "Yes, I think the Queens would love this."

She looked around, there were other holes in the side of the hollow, but they could easily be dug out to be made bigger. Applestar turned to Frogleg. "Lets bring everyone over," she said, unable to disguise her happiness. "Those other dens can be made bigger, but I think we should extend them outward with branches and mud and such to make them bigger, but we'll dig in further if we have to."

Frogleg nodded and Rain stepped forward, "I'm sure Echo will be willing to let some of us help you, I can ask her." 

Applestar nodded to him. "I want the clan here by sunset so we can start settling in. I'll take more of a look around to make sure it's really safe."

Frogleg nodded and he quickly turned away, heading up the slope and out of their new camp. Rain followed him quickly, but Butterfly stayed behind. The pretty she-cat purred, "I'm glad you've found a place to live. I'll stay with you and hunt so you have plenty of caught-prey when your clan comes."

She leaned forward and touched her nose to the younger she-cat's. "Thank you," she purred. 

Together they took another look around, finding little caves in which the clan cats could sleep, then they headed out to start hunting. All the while Applestar observed everything carefully. She didn't know much, but she could identify a few plants that medicine cats would use. The thought of that brought back the reminder that she'd have to find a cat that she and Echo could train together. One of Brightclaw's kits would be perfect, but she wanted to make sure they chose the right kit. She hoped that now that they'd found a camp, that StarClan would send them a sign on who to choose. She and Butterfly returned and Applestar found a nice spot to start their fresh-kill pile.

Just as the sun was starting to set, Applestar heard the noise of cats coming closer. Soon the first cat appeared at the top of the slope. "Careful," she heard Frogleg saying, "Applestar fell in, we don't want anyone getting hurt." She felt hot with embarrassment, but as she looked at her clan, their eyes wide with excitement and their throats rumbling with purrs, she forgot about how she discovered the camp. They were happy and that was all that mattered. The kits were running around, sticking their noses everywhere. A patrol of Tribe cats came with them and, to Applestar's surprise, Echo herself had appeared. 

They didn't have much time to start building the dens, but the cats were able to settle down, eat, and share tongues. Echo came to share her meal with Applestar and Applestar couldn't help but cover the she-cat's head with affectionate licks. Echo looked surprised, but not upset. 

"Oh my," Echo murmured softly.

"I'm sorry, but thank you so much, I don't know how much longer my clan would've survived if we hadn't met you and your tribe," Applestar said, purring loudly. "Thank you for all the help you've given and.. thank you for all the help you're still willing to give us."

Echo was purring as well and pressed her muzzle against Applestar's. "Even if my ancestors had not told me to do so, I know it still would be the right thing to do." She looked around at the other cats, sharing tongues, Tribe and Clan together. Applestar noticed that Grass and Ravenflight were close to each other, talking and sharing tongues, but she didn't think much of it. She was only glad that the cats were all getting along. 

As they watched them, Brightclaw was gathering her kits together to start settling them down to sleep. "Have you chosen which one?" Echo asked, "you're going to choose one of those kits, right?"

Applestar nodded, but before she could respond a shadow fell over them and she looked up quickly. The shadow did not cast fear over her and as she heard the owl calling out in the sky, she realized... That StarClan had sent her a sign. 


End file.
